Mirumoto Kenzo
Mirumoto Kenzo was a bushi of the Dragon Clan. Training Kenzo was a student of the Iron Mountain Dojo. Legacy, by Shawn Carman Father Ichiro was the son of Mirumoto Junnosuke, and, in 1158, he had not even passed his gempukku when his father was disgraced, cast out of the Dragon Clan and made ronin. Mirumoto Daimyo Mirumoto Uso and Bayushi Paneki, the Scorpion who came with Junnosuke's blackmail information, determined that his arranged marriage to a daughter of the Soshi line would proceed as planned. After his gempukku Ichiro took the name of Mirumoto Kenzo. He heard many tales of his father's battle prowess from Tamori Tsukiro. Secrets of the Dragon, p. 33 Meeting Temoru In 1161, Kenzo found a wounded Mirumoto Temoru whose group had suffered a yobanjin attack. Kenzo helped Temoru reach Shiro Mirumoto where Temoru revealed to Uso that he had been carrying a scroll containing information on a possible method of stopping Isawa's Last Wish and thereby ending the Dragon-Phoenix War. Uso revealed to Temoru that he had been travelling for two years, and that the war was already over. This and other powerful nemuranai caused Uso and Temoru to start the Nemuranai Hunters of the Dragon Clan. Temoru travelled to the yobanjin City of Gold to investigate things further, and brought Kenzo with him. Temoru eventually took up residency in the City of Gold and married. City of Gold (Diamond Edition flavor) Wife and Uso's Funeral Kenzo was married to his Soshi bride, and both attended Mirumoto Uso's funeral, who was murdered in 1161. It was at this time that Kenzo was promoted to the rank of gunso and tasked with a special mission by the new Mirumoto Daimyo, Mirumoto Rosanjin. His first orders were to bring the news of Uso's murder to Mirumoto Temoru. Kenzo was risen to command the Nemuranai Seekers. Secrets of the Dragon, p. 32 Nemuranai Hunter Kenzo had a son in 1165. Birth and Death (Reign of Blood flavor) He collected nemuranai and threw them into Tamori's Furnace to destroy them, as commanded by Mirumoto Rosanjin and Temoru. The Dragon Clan Champion, Togashi Satsu, saw him and discovered that Kenzo's destiny was critical, and could spell victory or disaster for the Dragon Clan in the future. Return of the Master (Diamond Rulebook Story), by Rich Wulf and Shawn Carman Yobanjin bandits had increased their presence between the City of Gold and the Dragon lands, so Kenzo stopped his visits to Temoru and focused his efforts on seeking out and destroying nemuranai. Clan Letter to the Dragon (Imperial Herald v2 #9) Mirumoto Mareshi Kenzo saw Mirumoto Mareshi at Shiro Mirumoto, the son of The Daini and the naga woman Mara. He was impressed by his skills, and Mirumoto Rosanjin allowed Kenzo to conscript him in the Nemuranai Hunters. Rain of Blood After the Rain of Blood covered the Empire in 1165, Kenzo halted his hunting of nemuranai and began to hunt bloodspeakers. He and Mareshi joined General Toku in the Phoenix lands, where cultists had been seen. Penance, Part Three, by Rich Wulf Hidden City The enemies they found were animated dead. Doji Midoru, who was part of the army, took an amulet that was in a small shrine. It was Emma-O's Amulet, and the Crane was told that it belonged to Akodo Tadenori, who was tainted in the Rain. Dawn of Battle (Hidden City Rulebook Story), by Rich Wulf The army received a dove with a message from the Master of Air, Isawa Nakamuro. He requested their aid to protect the secretive city of Gisei Toshi, a city throught previously destroyed at the dawn of the Empire by the forces of Fu-Leng. A Bloodspeaker army, led by Yajinden and Iuchiban, was marching to assault the City. Battle at Gisei Toshi (Hidden City Booster Story) The battle had been going poorly for the Phoenix for three days until the arrival of Dragon and Monkey forces. The defenders were able to open the gates long enough to permit their entrance. At the request of the Pheonix, Toku's son, Toturi Kyoji, had sent a messenger to Toshi Ranbo informing that the Bloodspeakers marched on the Phoenix lands, but he asked for no reinforcements. They were all trapped there, outnumbered, with little hope of aid, in a city that did not exist. Fires of the Hidden City, Part Two, by Rich Wulf Five days later, Nakamuro vanished, and shortly after, the north wall shone red, and tore itself apart from within. Kenzo rallied the defenders to fill the breach. Fires of the Hidden City, Part Four, by Rich Wulf Ambition The undead and bloodspeakers came rushing into the city and began to loot the temples. Kenzo ordered the defenders to do the same, denying their enemies the powerful artifacts found within the city. Kenzo and Mareshi went into the temple of Benten, where they were attacked by a creature with six legs and a boar's head with four long tusks. They wounded the oni, and its acid blood melted the armour and wakizashi of Kenzo. Seeking a replacement for his destroyed blade, he found a cursed wakizashi that was at the temple. The fight ended when the City was magically transported to another place, and the remnants of the samurai and Bloodspeaker armies retreated into the Mountains of the Phoenix. Fires of the Hidden City, Part Five, by Rich Wulf Unbeknownst to Kenzo, the wakizashi he had picked up was the reforged Ambition, which had bound itself to him during the battle. Fury, by Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf Notices from Temoru In 1166, Temoru wrote to Rosanjin claiming that destroying nemuranai was a complete mistake. His intention was to classify and study them, but his words were misunderstood, perverted or abused. As a result, this led to the destruction of countless benevolent artifacts. He then informed Rosanjim of his intention to come back to Dragon lands. Clan Letter to the Dragon (Hidden City timeline) Murder Investigations Rosanjin and Kenzo arrived in the village were Seiden Sanzo was built. There had been several murders in the village that were similar to Mirumoto Uso's several years before. Kitsuki Otojiro, the investigator that was in charge of Uso's death, told them that a Dragon Magistrate had been killed several weeks before, and just recently a monk and a Phoenix shugenja named Asako Tsuruko, were found dead in the shrine. Orojiro said that people had been more violent in the village as of late and that he suspected some supernatural powers were at work, he also stated that some one posing as one of the monks had just arrived and was still inside the shrine. As they entered the shrine they found Kaelung, the monk outlaw, who was in the Dragon lands seeking an audience with Togashi Satsu to make atonement. He had heard of the murders and came to investigate, Rosanjin did not believe him at first, but Kaelung offered to surrender to Rosanjin and offered to help. Kenzo was charged with ensuring Kaelung's behaviour. Their investigation led to Tsukuro's yojimbo, Mirumoto Kazunori, who had disappeared shortly after the murder of his charge. Fury, by Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf Shrine of Stone Kaelung tracked Kazunori to the hidden Shrine of Stone located deep within the wilderness. Kenzo went in through the front while Kaelung circled around the back. When Kenzo confronted Kazunori, the yojimbo went mad and charged Kenzo, but Kaelung burst through the back of the shrine and rushed to Kenzo's defense elbowing the crazed Kazunori in the face. During the fight Kazunori's katana started to glow a blood red and Kaulung stared at it in fear, he knew then that it was one of the shameswords made by Kokujin on the Anvil of Despair. Kenzo's wakizashi, Ambition started to glow blue in response and when he blocked the shamesword he saw the anguished face of his father Junnosuke reflected on the blade's surface. While Kazunori and Kenzo tried to overpower each other Kaelung attacked from behind and buried his ono in the back of Kazunori's skull. Blade of Fury When Rosanjin and Otojiro arrived at the Shrine of Stone to examine Kazunori's body, Otojiro discovered a letter from Asako Tsuruko to her yojimbo Kazunori stating that not only was she the one who had killed Mirumoto Uso, as well as the Dragon magistrate but that she was also a Bloodspeaker. She also claimed to not know where the shamesword had come from but that it just showed up in her belongings one day. Tsuruko claims that it was the sword that drove her to kill Uso, which she deeply regretted and the memory of it haunted her for years. Tsuruko went to Seiden Sanzo to pray to Sanzo for guidance, but when Kazunori confronted her with the letter she killed the monk there and fought Kazunori, who took the shamesword and killed her with it before fleeing into the woods to hide in the Shrine of Stone. Kenzo asked how he could have seen his father's face reflected in the blade, Rosanjin explained that the sword was forged using the soul of a disgraced Dragon. Rosanjin then asked Kenzo to take the shamesword known as Fury to the High House of Light for safe keeping, as well as to escort Kaelung to see Satsu, for he had earned the right to be judged by their Lord. Kenzo returned with the blade with the intention that it would be placed in trustworthy hands. Broken Tiger, by Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf As Kenzo alone seemed immune to the blade's influence, Rosanjin decided to give Fury back to Kenzo. Worldly Matters, by Shawn Carman Yojimbo In 1167 Kenzo was appointed as the yojimbo of the courtier Kitsuki Seiji. Since the War of Silk and Steel had taxed the Dragon's resources to their very limit. Seiji was tasked with making trade agreements for rice with the Minor Clans, offering to sponsor them in the Imperial Court. He and Kenzo traveled with a ronin vassal, Hozumi, to the Ox court, where Seiji succesfully made an agreement. Monkey lands The group went to the Vigilant Keep of the Monkey to meet the Monkey Clan Champion Toku Inao. Kenzo was surprised when Hozumi introduced himself to Inao as the son of Toku's comrade, Sanzo. The Scorpion Clan, represented by Bayushi Tsimaru, was also there meeting with the Monkey for the same reason. Officially Tsimaru was dealing with matters regarding the betrothal of the Scorpion Clan Champion, Bayushi Paneki, to Inao's daughter, Toturi Miyako. Shamesword In Toku's Shrine, Kenzo met with Tsimaru who revealed the rice production of the Scorpion Clan lands had been devastated by a manifestation of Bishamon, who had been angered by the Scorpion's inability to protect Rosoku, Shinsei's heir. Kenzo in turn discovered that Tsimaru was in possession of one of the Shameswords. Tsimaru was either unaware of the name of the Shamesword or he chose not to tell Kenzo. Not having been trained to resist the urges of Kokujin's creation, Kenzo wished to take the sword from Tsimaru. Tsimaru told Kenzo that he would give the blade to the Dragon if Kenzo informed Mirumoto Rosanjin about another matter. Previously, the Dragon had asked the for the Scorpion's counsel on who to send to the Shadowlands as the Empire's Ambassador. Tsimaru relayed their choice and told him a name: Mirumoto Taishuu. The Dragon Clan followed the Scorpion's counsel, and Taishuu was chosen as the Empire's ambassador to the Shadowlands. Soul of Darkness, Part 1, by Shawn Carman Mirumoto Kei, Clan Champion In 1170, Kenzo was made captain of the Mirumoto Elite Guard and part of the Command Staff to the Dragon Clan Champion Mirumoto Kei. The War of Dark Fire, Part 7, by Shawn Carman, Nancy Sauer, and Brian Yoon War of Dark Fire Kenzo was alongside Kei seeking the raiding patrols of the Army of Fire in the War of Dark Fire. In 1171 he fought in the Battle of Shiro Mirumoto. End of the War Kenzo, as Kei's shireikan, fought in the Battle of Dragon Heart Plain, where the minions of Chosai were outmaneuvered and destroyed by the armies of the Lion, Crab, Dragon, and Phoenix, as well as the cavalry forces of the Shogun. The War of Dark Fire, Part 16, by Shawn Carman Destroyer War News came that the yobanjin Army of Fire had assaulted again the Empire and they were arriving Last Ridge Village during the opening phase of the Destroyer War. Kenzo was alongside Togashi Miyoko and her companion Hozumi. Miyoko sought the aid of Isawa Nakajima, who sent his yojimbo Shiba Nobuyuki to talk with Miyoko's brother, Togashi Taro. The tattooed monk was convinced and departed to fight the minions of the Dark Oracle of Fire. He dealt with the barbarians alone. Doctrine of Confrontation, by Lucas Twyman God Beast In 1172 Kenzo was near Ryoko Owari Toshi with the combined Rokugani armies facing the God Beast of Kali-Ma and his summoned spawns. Togashi Osawa's monks and the Scorpion unit called the Shadow Blades joined the fight. Wrath of the God-Beast, Part 1, by Shawn Carman Kei's son Mirumoto Kei sequestered her at Jousai Tengai to have her child. Patrolling the Roads (The Plague War flavor) The Army of Fire harassed the area, and Kenzo bought her enough time to recover and for reinforcements to arrive. Knowledge of the Land (Empire at War flavor) Chosai The Dragon lured the Dark Oracle of Fire Chosai to a trap. He attacked the fifth guardtower in the Phoenix border, and Isawa Mizuhiko wielding Judgement wounded and drove him back. A Desperate Ruse, by Brian Yoon External Links * Mirumoto Kenzo (Reign of Blood) * Mirumoto Kenzo Exp (Web of Lies) * Mirumoto Kenzo Exp2 (Empire at War) Category:Dragon Clan Members